Sabbatini still pushing Tiger's buttons

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?s ... &type=lgns

December 16, 2007

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Rory Sabbatini didn't let the year end without getting under Tiger Woods' skin one last time.

In a move that left players shaking their head, Sabbatini withdrew from the final round of the Target World Challenge on Sunday citing "personal reasons," the first player in the nine-year history of the event to leave early.

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Sabbatini still received $170,000. He was in last place heading into the final round, 28 shots behind.

A locker room attendant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, said Sabbatini cleaned out his locker Saturday night saying he was headed to Maui, where he spends his Christmas vacation.

His agent, Bud Martin, said Sabbatini told him he withdrew because of shin splints.

"He had shin splints that were bothering him yesterday," Martin said after talking to Sabbatini on Sunday morning. "He went home overnight and worked on them with his trainer, and they weren't getting any better. He said he wasn't going to risk it."

Sabbatini had played the previous two weeks in South Africa and Australia. He opens next year on Jan. 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, having qualified by his victory at the Colonial this year.

"They don't have any flights to Hawaii tonight?" Fred Couples said, shaking his head. "He's messing with the wrong guy."

Woods, the tournament host, shook his head when asked about Sabbatini but did not comment as he went to eat breakfast before preparing for the final round. Woods had a six-shot lead over Jim Furyk.

Sabbatini was scheduled to be in the first group with Brett Wetterich, who played Sunday as a single.

PGA Tour officials said regulations allow for Sabbatini to collect unofficial last place money, typical of any tournament when a player withdraws on the weekend. In this case, the entire purse is unofficial, and last place pays $170,000.

"He should give that back to the foundation," Couples said.

Sabbatini qualified for the 16-man field through his world ranking, which now is at No. 11. He finished at No. 6 on the PGA Tour money list with a career-high $4.5 million, but his year was best remembered for calling out Woods.

They played in the final round at the Wachovia Championship, where Woods overcame a one-shot deficit to win. Sabbatini, who had said he wanted Woods in the final group at Quail Hollow, said the following week that Woods looked as "beatable as ever."

"I've seen Tiger when he hits the ball well," Sabbatini said. "I've seen him when he figures it out. It's scary. I don't want to see that anymore. I like the new Tiger."

Woods responded by saying the "new Tiger" had three victories in 2007 at that point, "the same amount he's won in his career." Woods finished the season with seven victories.

They were paired again in the final round at the Bridgestone Invitational, and Sabbatini said it would be a rubber match. Woods beat him at Wachovia, but Sabbatini said he outscored him in the final round of the 1996 NCAA Championship, where Woods had an eight-shot lead going into the last round and won the title by three shots in his last year at Stanford.

At Firestone, Woods turned a one-shot deficit into a seven-shot lead at the turn and won by eight.